I’ve written a lot about change and the new challenges I’m facing as a single mum. One such challenge is working full time.

Before my husband and I separated, I worked at an amazing place with seriously cush hours. How cush?

I worked 25 hours a week, four days a week, ten months a year. I got summers, Christmas and Spring breaks off. I had great health coverage, holiday time, sick time, and still made more than most full time positions in the area.

Did I say it was cush?

Let me add a bit more.

I worked for an amazing supervisor who became a great friend and didn’t bat an eye when I showed up for work in jeans on a Tuesday, my hair not brushed, and red rimmed eyes from crying all the way to work. He just ignored the mess I was and let me bury myself in spreadsheets and graphs.

But, alas! All good things must come to an end and as of today, I’m no longer working for this amazing place. In order to secure financial independence and security, I accepted a position with a different organisation who was willing to start me out at twice my hourly pay.

I will no longer have summers or spring breaks off. I will no longer get home mid-afternoon. I will be working a regularly twelve month, Monday through Friday job.

That sound you just heard was me gulping.

If any of you have any tips on how I’m going to make this work – and still be able to spend time with my kids and cook them somewhat healthy meals, I’d love some advice.

Mandy Dawson is the creator of In Mandyland, an almost daily blog recording her adventures in juggling a full-time job, two active children, four arguing hens, a fluffy bunny, and one ex-husband. A self-diagnosed gardening and crafting addict, she often finds herself gluing together clay pots and trying to discover the cure for brown thumb. When she’s not writing, she can be found burning dinners while she stares off into space with a story idea. She was a regular contributor for Makes Fun of Stuff, Aiming Low, and Six Kitchens, and has been featured on BlogHer and Mamapedia. She is an Assistant Editor for Write on Edge and has had her fiction featured in three anthologies currently available on Amazon.